Cakaudrove youth leader urges youths to read Constitution

Cakaudrove Youth Council president Mere Babale is calling on young people in the province to read Fiji’s 2013 Constitution.

Speaking during the Constitutional Review consultation organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Civic Centre in Labasa last week, Ms Babale said many youths did not know what the 2013 Constitution looked like.

“When they saw the book and flipped through a few pages, they felt like giving up because of the legal jargon,” Ms Babale said.

“We have also noticed that children these days do not want to read much.”

However, she said the consultation helped youths understand the importance of the Constitution and how it connected ministries and citizens.

She said although the Constitution appeared small in size, the words carried significant weight in decision-making and defining the rights and identity of Fijians.

“Many of us made recommendations, including that the Constitution should be written in simpler English so people with limited education would still feel encouraged to read it,” she said.